A hawker stall that has been selling yong tau foo in Toa Payoh for the past 40 years will be shuttering its doors after its last day on Wednesday (Jan 28).
And fourth-generation owner Tang Mei Woon will be hanging up the apron, for now at least.
“I hope the coffee shop owner will take over the stall and hire me as an employee,” she told Lianhe Zaobao.
“[Hup Chong] raised three generations of my family,” she told the Chinese publication. “I’m very sad that it’s ending here.”
As for her plans after the closure, Mei Woon said that she’s “content to go exploring around Singapore” as she usually spends her whole day at the stall.
“Today is the last day, I will be able to go out for a walk tomorrow,” she said.
According to her, customers were sad about the stall’s closure, with some of them even “shedding tears”.
Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo’s last day also saw several customers who made their way over for a final taste of its food.
“I think it’s a pity. Fortunately, I was able to rush here and support them,” a customer told Zaobao.
Another patron visited the stall after hearing about its closure from a friend.
“I feel disappointed. I hope that hawker culture will continue,” she said.
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Tears over negative review
Just last month, the stall went viral for its response after citizen journalism site Stomp criticised Hup Chong’s prices. In its online commentary, a writer said she had paid $9.20 for her meal.
Mei Woon broke down in tears while speaking to Shin Min Daily News, and shared that the reason for the business closure was due to “various cost issues”.
This drew responses from the public, including ex-radio DJ Cheryl Miles Nixon.
In a Facebook post on Dec 29, she had a meal at Hup Chong and gave the stall a raving review.
She also penned words of encouragement for the stall owner, telling her not to let “one unfair review” ruin her last month of business and Christmas.
On Jan 18, Dr Leslie Tay, who runs food blog ieatishootipost, commented on the stall’s closure.
Shrinking profit margins, lack of manpower, and rising rentals are the challenges faced by many hawkers, he said.
“If we want to continue enjoying good-quality hawker food in the future, we need to be more realistic about hawker prices.”
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